I. Introduction
A. Today I wish to continue the theme that I began last time; namely that as Christians, we are defined by who we are and by what we do. I believe that there is ample scriptural evidence to support this approach, but I also believe that it goes contrary to centuries of common practice wherein Christians have defined themselves by what they believe. To illustrate this perhaps you can recall some of your own experiences. Have you ever entered into a conversation with a Christian from a denomination of which you are not acquainted. Almost inevitably, if you ask them about their faith or vice versa, the conversation will evolve into a discussion of doctrinal beliefs. Ask someone for information about their church and almost without fail, you will be given a statement of faith, or more accurately a listing of the things that they believe. Although I have no research to support this, there have probably been more church splits and new denominations forms because of disagreements over what is believed and what are acceptable doctrinal teaching than because of any other reason. Distinct doctrine is the scorecard by which we tell each other apart. We are superior to someone else because of what we believe.
B. Before anyone gets too excited, I am not advocating the abandonment of sound doctrine and teaching, but rather I am attempting to place it in the proper perspective. The Apostles writings contain many warnings about false teachers and their doctrines. In fact, much of the New Testament, especially the epistles, is devoted to correcting false teaching. Certainly we should pursue the true knowledge of God. It can guard our hearts and minds in the times of trials and testing. The strong point that I am attempting to make is that it is not our knowledge or our statement of beliefs that will make the greatest difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us, but essence it is what we do because of who we are or whose we are!!!!
C. To again illustrate the point that I am trying to make, Jesus did not say, “They will know that you are my disciples if you have sound doctrine or if you understand and can explain all the mysteries of God.” It will be our actions that make a difference, it will be the demonstration of the love of God within us that will make an impression on those we come in contact with in this life. The scripture is correct when it tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins,” even if someone considers a lack of knowledge or understanding to be sin.
D. I Corinthians 13:1-13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NKJV)
II. Application
A. Down through the years various labels and accolades have been attached to this famous chapter. Few chapters in the Bible have suffered more misinterpretation and misapplication than I Corinthians 13. When removed from it’s context it becomes “hymn to love” or even a sentimental sermon on Christian brotherhood. Many people fail to see that Paul was still dealing with the Corinthians problems as he composed these words. Among the problems, division in the body, open immorality, lawsuits among the brethren, misuse of spiritual gifts as well envy concerning who possessed the best gifts and many other things, too numerous to mention.
B. I sometimes shudder at the thought of comparing my life to the pattern that is given to us in this chapter. A high standard of conduct and motivation is put forth in these words. There is no intention on the part of the Apostle to minimize the value or importance of spiritual gifts or acts of self-sacrifice, but instead he emphasized the futility of everything not fortified and exercised by love.
C. The emphasis is not on feeling an emotion of love but on acting in love. C. S. Lewis has a helpful comment on what Christian love involves: It would be quite wrong to think that the way to become "loving" is to sit trying to manufacture affectionate feelings. Some people are "cold" by temperament; that may be a misfortune for them, but it is no more a sin than having a bad digestion is sin; and it does not cut them off from the chance, or excuse them from the duty, of learning "love." The rule for us all is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we learn one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love them. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less. There is however one exception. If you do him a good turn, not to please God and obey the law of love, but to show him what a fine forgiving chap you are, and to put him in your debt, and then sit down to wait for his "gratitude," you will probably be disappointed.... But whenever we do good to another self, just because it is a self, made like us by God, and desiring its own happiness as we desire ours, we shall have learned to love it a little more or, at least, to dislike it less.
D. We can observe three sections in this chapter; verses 1-3 which show us the importance of love in enriching spiritual gifts; verses 4-7 exemplifies how is used to build us up and finally verses 8-13 tells us that love is enduring.
1. The enriching power of love
a) If taken out of context, one might conclude that Paul is de-emphasizing spiritual gifts, but that is not the case. Elsewhere he proclaims that he speaks in tongues more than anyone else and he also urged his readers to pursue spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of prophesy.
b) Paul named five spiritual gifts; tongues, prophesy, knowledge, faith and giving (or sacrifice). The point that he made was that without love, the exercise of these gifts was nothing. Tongues apart from love is just a lot of noise! It is love that enriches the gift and gives it value. Ministry without love devalues both the minister and those who are ministered to; but ministry with love enriches the whole church. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love one another by pouring out God’s love in our hearts
c) Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NKJV)
2. Love builds us up.
a) The purpose of spiritual gift is to build up and fortify the church. This means we must not only think of ourselves, but of others, and this requires love.
b) The Corinthians were impatient in the public meetings but love would cause them to be patient. They envied each others spiritual gifts, but love would remove that envy.
c) They were puffed up with pride as exemplified by:
(1) I Corinthians 8:1-2 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. (NKJV)
d) But love would remove pride and the advancement of self and replace it with a desire to promote others.
e) An improper use or over emphasis on knowledge can cause a great deal of harm. John Bunyan put it this way in Pilgrim’s Progress
“There is knowledge and knowledge: knowledge that resteth in the bare speculation of thing and knowledge that is accompanied with the grace of faith and love, which puts a man upon doing even the will of God from the heart.”
f) Love puts everything in the right perspective. Not everyone is given the same abilities and gifts; for some reason some either rise or are thrust to the forefront, but without the restraining and refining influence of love there will be no unity, no consideration of others, in others words there will be nothing to distinguish use from the rest of the world. The sum of the commandments and the essence of the Gospel was capsulated by Jesus in response to a question from a scribe who posed the question?
g) Mark 12:28-34 "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him. (NKJV)
3. The enduring quality of love
a) Eventually most things fail, usually sooner than we would like. We will not be fully completed until Jesus returns and because of that we need all of the gifts and special graces that He has given to the Church, so that we may grow and mature. Children live for the temporary; maturing adults live for the permanent. Love is enduring and what it produces will endure
III. Conclusion
A. If one has been led to think that the most important thing about being a Christian is having a correct understanding and knowledge of sound doctrine, I am certain that an objective examination of the chapter will be unsettling. The desire for the increase of spiritual knowledge is only of value if it causes us to want to be more like Jesus. Anything else is of limited value.
B. Some time ago my dad related to me something that he had read, I hope that I can relate it accurately.
1. The observation was made that if there was a visitor from another planet, who knew nothing of our history or of Christianity, and were he shown the Sermon on the Mount along side the document referred to as the Apostles’ Creed that without a doubt he would conclude that they represented totally separate and unrelated religions.
2. With this in mind how would our lives compare with the pattern set by Jesus in the Gospels or with this template of Christian practice presented by Paul to the Corinthians.
C. A story in the "Sunshine Magazine" about a professor of psychology illustrates how difficult it is to love others. Although he had no children of his own, whenever he saw a neighbor scolding a child for some wrongdoing, he would say, "You should love your boy, not punish him." One hot summer afternoon the professor was doing some repair work on a concrete driveway leading to his garage. Tired out after several hours of work, he laid down the towel, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and started toward the house. Just then out of the corner of his eye he saw a mischievous little boy putting his foot into the fresh cement. He rushed over, grabbed him, and was about to spank him severely when a neighbor leaned from a window and said, "Watch it, Professor! Don't you remember? You must `love' the child!" At this, he yelled back furiously, "I do love him in the abstract but not in the concrete!"
D. Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)
